Introducing The Next Generation Of Leaders And Thinkers

Stigma Against Transgenders

I used to believe that being transgender was wrong. Then I began to feel conflicted about it. It is repeatedly said that there are only two genders and that is   the basis of the argument against the transgender community. I would like to shut down that argument by asking, if there are only two genders which category does a hermaphrodite, someone who was born with both genitalia, fall into? What about a person born with XXY, XXX, XYY, chromosomes? Others are born with two vaginas. If being transgender is wrong then being a hermaphrodite is automatically wrong because they do not fit into one of the two categories. Being born a hermaphrodite is about as wrong as me being born black, and if you’re a racist I don’t know what to tell you. *joke

If hermaphrodites exist then it is possible for someone to be born with “incorrect” genitalia. I only say “incorrect” because they are neither male or female. I can only imagine what it must feel like to feel out of place all the time

This is where my rant starts. My main issue with the stigma against transgenders is that so many of them are being abused or mistreated because of who they are. Leelah Alcorn, let me get started. Leelah Alcorn was born Joshua Ryan Alcorn, on November 15th, 1997. She died December 28th, 2014. She took her life by running into oncoming traffic. In her suicide note she says that when she was 14 she found out what it meant to be transgender and then ecstatically ran to tell her mom.

Who went on to pour insults on her daughter. Leelah was pulled out of school, denied any social access, and isolated for 5 months. She fell into deep depression. Her parents placed her into therapy, but only strictly Christian therapists who went on to criticize her and push her further into depression and self-hate. In her suicide note she says, “I’m never going to have enough love to satisfy me, I’m never going to be happy. There’s no winning. There’s no way out. It gets worse. Each day I get worse. The only way I will rest in peace is if transgender people aren’t treated the way I was, they’re treated like humans, with valid feelings, and human rights. My death needs to mean something. My death needs to be counted in the number of transgender people who commit suicide this year. I want someone to look at number and say ‘that’s f***ed up’ and fix it, fix society, please.” 41% of transgender people take their own lives, and that’s inexplicably f***ed up.

Her parents decided that they’d much rather have a dead son than an alive daughter. Why did she feel unloved? Who is supposed to love you more than your parents? What her parents did was illegal at least in North Carolina. If it is not Illegal in where you live then it should be. Minors fall under the category of disabled persons. We are required access to a phone, outdoors etc. If those things are denied it is social and emotional abuse. The human system needs human interaction to thrive (find a study to back it up). There needs to be things in place to protect the community.

This won’t turn into a sermon, you have my word but why would the church and Christian community turn away and condemn those who need our help the most. Those feeling lost and need a place of love and kindness just like everyone else. How dare you, in the name of an everloving god tear someone down. The same God who said to only use words for healing (Ephesians 4:29 NLT). The same God who says all should come to him and he will make their burden light (Matthew 11:29-30). If your god is telling you that transgenders are the trash of the world then we do not worship the same God.

Sex is given to you, gender is determined by yourself. If God truly makes no mistakes and he makes the soul and man makes the body. Man is flawed and the body is flawed.

If only she stayed with us long enough to see Caitlyn Jenner. If only she stayed here long enough to see life get better. If only she knew the gargantuan amount of love she has. If only she lived long enough to feel that love, and to feel self-love.

Can we please just stop kicking people when they’re down? Let’s lend them a hand and tell them (even if you don’t agree with what they do) that you love them beyond words, that there is massive support from so many people, that no matter what they do you may not support them but you will catch them when they fall.

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